How to Spot Baby Acne

As you are admiring your newborn baby’s skin, you can’t even imagine that your baby could experience a case of acne. Acne is one of those skin conditions that is supposed to be limited to teenagers or hormonal women, right? Unfortunately, baby acne can appear shortly after birth until 6 months old, so is important to know how to spot baby acne.

Acne in adults, teenagers, and babies is influenced by common factors such as sebaceous oils, bacteria, and hormones. It is thought that mother’s lingering hormones along with baby’s oils drive baby’s acne. That is why baby’s acne is worse during their first month of life.

Here is how to spot acne on your baby’s face:

Timing- Know that it can occur in newborns up until they are 6 months old. Three to six weeks old is the most common age to see baby acne.

Location- It most commonly affects the central face, including the mid forehead, nose and chin.

Appearance- Baby acne looks like teenager and adult acne. Red bumps and yellow pustules typical of acne is what you will see.

Distinguish it- If a baby also has the yellowish-red scaly patches of cradle cap affecting the perinasal and eyebrow areas as well, a baby’s face can look rather red with baby acne so don’t be scared if that is the case.

Here are a few tips on how to handle baby acne:

Don’t try and scrub away the acne. Physical scrubbing can actually create more aggravation and more redness.

Don’t use OTC adult acne medications such as benzoyl peroxide. These adult topical products may cause significant irritation to baby’s skin that leads to more redness and worsening of the condition.

Don’t worry about scarring- baby acne rarely causes any significant cosmetic issues and usually resolves gradually on its own.

Do gentle cleansing on baby’s face without soap using a soft baby washcloth around the eyebrows and nose. If desired, a gentle cleanser such as Baby Pibu’s tear free Bathtime Wash can be used with your fingers, taking care to avoid the eyes.